Chapter 4

Even through the screen, I could feel the fake excitement.

[Lindsay, you finally came around? That's great! Yesterday, we were in a closed development phase, and security took everyone's phones. That's why I missed your calls. Please don't be mad. I'll bring my parents over right away. I'm sorry about your mom. My condolences. Life has to go on.]

I turned off my phone.

Two days later, at ten that morning, the old apartment door swung open.

Tyler walked in wearing a perfectly tailored casual suit.

His parents came in behind him, smug as ever.

Benjamin wrinkled his nose and waved a hand through the air.

"Why'd you drag us here this early? This place is depressing."

He dropped onto the couch without even looking at Mom's memorial photo or the flowers beside it.

Then he started complaining.

"Tyler worked all night. He's exhausted. And you blew up his phone more than sixty times. Do you know how bad that makes him look to his boss? Can't you act a little more mature?"

Tyler's mother, Irene, put on her concerned-mom voice and sighed.

"Lindsay, don't take this the wrong way. Your mother was terminal. There was nothing anyone could do. Even if Tyler came back, it wouldn't have changed anything. You can't take that out on him. A woman has to make sacrifices for her man's career. You need to consider the bigger picture."

I sat across from them, gripping the thick manila envelope.

I watched the three of them perform like clowns.

"Done?"

My voice came out hoarse. Flat. Empty.

Tyler softened the second he saw my face.

"Lindsay, what's gotten into you? I told you it was work. Why can't you understand that? If you keep acting like this, how are we supposed to get married?"

"Exactly!"

Benjamin slammed his palm on the coffee table, rattling the glasses.

"Since we're talking marriage, let's be clear. Your mom's gone. You don't need this old apartment anymore. Sell it immediately and use the money to help Tyler's sister with her down payment. And Tyler runs in better circles now, so raise your contribution to $80,000. Sign the property transfer today, and we'll forgive your attitude the other night."

The empty living room echoed with nothing but greed.

To them, Mom's death wasn't a tragedy.

It was a chance to drain me even more.

They thought I'd fold. Like I had for eight years.

All because of Tyler's tears and his so-called love.

I stood and walked to the coffee table, looking down at all three of them.

"So you want me to sell the apartment and put in even more money. Is that right?"

A cold smile touched my mouth.

Irene's eyes lit up. She thought I'd caved.

"That's right. Now that's how a woman should act when she's building a life with—"

I ignored her and headed for the front door.

Click.

I locked the deadbolt and slipped the key into my pocket.

The room went ice-cold.

They stared at me.

I turned back, pulled the manila envelope from under my arm, and laid out the neatly sorted documents and photos.

"Now...

"Let's settle a different account."